The journey to the Spire was quiet.
Too quiet.
Liam and the others followed the ancient road, winding through forests whose trees bent unnaturally toward the sky, as if whispering to the clouds. Moss clung to everything. The air was thick with energy — not just magic, but old magic.
Kael broke the silence with a yawn. "So, are we walking into another death trap, or is this a friendly visit?"
"Definitely a death trap," Aeris replied, eyes scanning the mist ahead. "The Spire used to be a sanctuary, but that was before Sareth's influence spread."
"Great," Kael muttered. "Spooky tower, cursed land, and no bathroom breaks."
Nyra chuckled softly. She rode atop her spectral wolf, which had taken solid form for the first time. Mog flapped behind her, now oddly chubby from eating too many magical berries.
Liam, however, was quiet.
The bone pendant from the previous battle kept glowing faintly. It pulsed when they neared the Spire — like it was calling to something… or warning him.
"Not all fragments lie dormant."
The voice whispered again. He clutched his chest, but said nothing.
They reached the foot of the Sunken Spire by nightfall.
It was enormous — like a crooked needle piercing the earth. Jagged stones circled it, hovering mid-air as if stuck in time. An entrance lay beneath a crumbled arch, guarded by nothing… and yet everything.
Nyra frowned. "I feel… pressure. Like the sky's sitting on my shoulders."
"Dark barrier," Aeris said. "Very old. Very angry."
Kael walked up and jabbed a stick through it. The stick burst into blue fire and vanished.
"Noted," he said, backing up.
Aeris held out the fragment of the book they'd retrieved. The bone pendant in Liam's hand began to hum louder in response. The air shimmered — then cracked open a slit in the barrier, just enough for them to squeeze through.
"Convenient," Kael whispered. "Also terrifying."
Inside, the Spire was hollow — a spiral staircase led upward, twisting like a serpent's spine.
The walls were covered in writing — symbols none of them recognized. Nyra tried to trace one with her finger, but it sizzled against her skin.
"Don't touch anything," Liam said suddenly. "They're warnings."
Aeris looked over. "You understand this?"
Liam blinked. "I… don't know. I just feel it. Like someone's telling me not to."
The whispers returned — louder, more insistent.
"Keep climbing."
"What you seek is beyond the false floor."
They climbed cautiously, torches flickering against stone etched in forgotten tongues. Halfway up, the stairs shook violently. Cracks split the walls.
"Trap!" Aeris shouted, drawing her blade.
But it wasn't a trap. It was a summon.
The wall exploded outward — and stepping through the dust was a cloaked figure.
Eyes glowing violet. Robes swirling with stardust.
"Liam Gray," she said, voice calm but cold. "You've been walking blind. Time to open your eyes."
Nyra gasped. "Who is that?!"
Liam froze. "I… know that voice."
"She still watches you…"
"From behind the veil."
The woman removed her hood.
It was the same woman from his visions — the one reaching out with a crying infant in her arms.
"…Mother?" Liam whispered.
She smiled softly — then threw a bolt of energy directly at him.
Aeris leapt between them, deflecting it with her blade.
"Not your mom!" she yelled.
"Correct," said the woman, now floating above them. "I am Vexa — illusionist, seer of time… and the first of your trials."
Kael sighed. "Of course. Another cryptic villain with fancy robes."
Vexa raised a hand. The entire staircase twisted — reality bending as walls became floors and up became sideways.
"I'll show you what's buried in your blood, Liam Gray," she whispered. "Let's see if you're worthy of what you carry."
The battle was chaos.
Kael hurled himself from wall to wall, slicing illusory clones. Nyra summoned a burning wolf that exploded on contact — but Vexa's body flickered, untouchable.
Liam's sword glowed wildly, but every time he tried to strike, the whispers in his head became unbearable.
"You're not ready."
"You will destroy them all."
"Stop it!" he shouted, holding his head.
Aeris grabbed him. "We need you! Fight it!"
He looked up — eyes wild. Then, for the first time, he threw his sword like a spear.
It hit.
The blade pierced Vexa's illusion — revealing her real form for a split second.
A young woman… with the same pendant Liam carried.
She hissed — then vanished in a swirl of purple smoke.
"Until next time," her voice echoed. "I look forward to your unraveling."
The Spire returned to normal. The battle ended.
But Liam was shaken. He picked up his sword — still trembling.
"She… she looked like she knew me."
Nyra placed a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe she did. Or maybe she wanted you to think that."
Aeris stayed silent, staring at the pendant.
Kael stretched. "Well… if that was the first of the 'trials,' I vote we skip the next ones."
As they exited the Spire, night fully settled over the cursed forest.
In the distance, the stars seemed to shift — aligning in a strange formation.
Unseen by them, high in a different realm, a dark figure stirred.
Sareth.
He opened his many eyes… and smiled.
"The game begins."